gas water heater in laundry room - InspectionNews

Jerome W. Young · #1 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 12:39 PM

I found this in an older house. It is a gas water heater in the laundry room. It is a 1996 model. It did not have the sealed burner/pilot area.

This should have an external fresh air intake? 18 in. stand?; etc? Should it have a mechanical vent as well?

I saw some burn marks and it appeared to be from some flame roll out at some point.

Jim Robinson · #2 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 01:16 PM

Where is the garage in relation to the laundry room? What type of door or doors between the house / garage and laundry?

James Duffin · #3 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 01:23 PM

If the garage is not an issue then you don;t need the 18" high stand. As far as the fresh air intakes go, you need 50 CF of space for each 1000 BTU of burner capacity. If the WH is 32,000 BTU's you need 1600 CF of room area to avoid needing the external combustion air intakes. This would be a 14 x 14 room with a 8' ceiling which I doubt the laundry room is.

Billy Stephens · #4 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerome W. Young

--etc?

TPR discharge line, drain pan, galvanized cold intake line ect ( New WH.)

Jerome W. Young · #5 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 05:10 PM

the laundry is open to the rest of the home. It had louvered doors surrounding it.

James Duffin · #6 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 06:04 PM

The adjacent rooms can be counted for your CF calculations as long as there is no door between the rooms.

Matt Fellman · #7 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 09:00 PM

I've always been surprised that dryers can be right next to water heaters. It sure seems like all of the air a dryer is sucking up could pull air down the water heater vent. I suppose with adequate fresh air this doesn't happen. It just seems to be pretty close to a problem. But, codes and specs are written from actual tests/studies and not my idea of what could happen.... So, I imagine it's okay.

James Duffin · #8 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 09:03 PM

Be sure to include the gas dryers BTU's when calculating your fresh air requirements.

Timothy M. Barr · #9 (**permalink**) 04-21-2008, 04:03 AM

I would be more concerned about the pressure relief valve not being extened. What is the silver stuff on the outside of it? insulation?

Jerome W. Young · #10 (**permalink**) 04-21-2008, 02:39 PM

yes insulation ans yes the tpr is a concern and noted

John Arnold · #11 (**permalink**) 04-21-2008, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerome W. Young

yes insulation ans yes the tpr is a concern and noted

I see a lot of added insulation (not that silver stuff, though) where it is blocking combustion air at the bottom either because whoever installed it didn't know any better or because over the years it slipped down. Not good.